Brendan Cole has said Victoria Pendleton needs to up her game if she wants to see the Strictly Come Dancing final (Picture: BBC/PA)

The ballroom dancer has had his fair share of quality celebrity dance partners during his stint on the show, with the likes of Lisa Snowdon, Kelly Brook and Michelle Williams up there with the best of them.

And although he says Victoria doesn’t moan about sore feet and fatigue like his partners in previous series, he says the Olympic gold medallist needs to work on her on-stage persona if she wants to stay in the competition.

He told Metro: ‘At the moment, she’s struggling most with the showmanship. She’s not a performer – that’s the tricky bit.

‘I’ll have to bring out her inner showgirl.’

And Cole – who has said he will ditch Victoria and Strictly altogether should his wife go into labour before this series finishes – is worried her lack of showmanship may cost them a place in the final.

The cycling champ is struggling to get to grips with her performances (Picture: BBC)

‘We were second from the bottom the other week… One week you’ll have a fantastic time, the next week will be different; the plan is to keep on going and make an impact,’ he said.

And unfortunately for Victoria, Cole thinks the show is particularly stiff this year because the other celebs are determined to stick around.

‘Everyone seems to relish their time on the show. It’s a good year,’ he added.

Meanwhile, the professional has said he and Craig Revel Horwood have finally put to bed their differences.

Asked whether the snotty judge is more chilled this series, Bendan replied: ‘Maybe he is, maybe I am. I love Craig. He’s a great judge and is interesting to work with.

‘He can be unnecessarily rude to the contestants on screen but that’s part of his charm.’